Apple is expected to replace its current operating system with iOS 8 later this year and we've rounded all the latest news and rumours up into one place.
When Apple announced iOS 7 in June last year and launched it with the iPhone 5S, it ushered in the biggest visual change the operating system had seen since its inception. Designed by Jony Ive, the UI had been given a flat, 2D overhaul with bold bright colours, new icons and a cool parrallaxing effect.
There were also new features introduced like iTunes Radio and AirDrop. Most recently, Apple introduced CarPlay - revealed at this year's Geneva Motor Show - in the form of an iOS 7.1 update.
Even with this recent upgrade, plenty of rumours are starting to circulate about what Apple could have in store for its next major update - iOS 8 - that many predect will be revealed to us in the next few months. And, chances are, could be launched with the iPhone 6 at the end of this year.
We've sorted through the internet rumour mill to bring you the latest news and rumours on what Cupertino could have planned and, more importantly, when we could see it.
Apple iOS 8: Design
Given the visual overhaul that Apple went through with iOS 7, it's unlikely we'll see such a big change happening again. Part of the reason Apple redesigned iOS 7 was to launch it alongside the colour-themed iPhone 5c. So we're reasonably confident that, in terms of the UI, very little will change.
That hasn't stopped designers uploading concept ideas to the internet. The one below is the work of Vilim Pluzaric and was brought to our attention by 3g.co.uk. It continues the flat design of iOS 7 and the standard grid layout of the apps.
What we can also be reasonably sure of is that Apple won't be embracing the widgets that have made Android so popular.Apple iOS 8: Apps and Healthbook
One of the biggest developing trends in mobile tech this year is likely to be the integration of health and fitness features.
Manufacturers are using the sensors in smartphones to give us metrics on all manner of health-related issues. For instance, Samsung has included a heart rate monitor on the recently-released Samsung Galaxy S5.
Several rumours have hinted at a new app called Healthbook that Apple is reportedly developing to run on iOS 8. The app will collect and organise information about your fitness collected from the new M7 processor inside the iPhone 5S and - possibly from a wearable device such as the iWatch.
First reported by MacRumors, the Healthbook app will apparently take its look from Apple's Passbook app.
"The new health and fitness application’s interface is a stack of cards that can be easily swiped between. Each card represents a different fitness or health data point. The prototype logo for "Healthbook" is similar to Passbook’s icon, but it is adorned with graphics representing vital signs," the site reports.
Apple iOS 8: Siri
Apple's digital assistant will reportedly become much smarter in iOS 8 as the company is planning to open the feature up to more third-party developers.
Currently, all Siri requests need to be routed via Apple’s own servers. Only a handful of third party service providers currently link into Siri’s servers. They include information provider Wolfram Alpha and US restaurant booking service OpenTable.
Other changes mooted for Siri include allowing data to be displayed in a more constrained space. An example given by The Information includes while a user is jogging and has their running app displayed.
Another example was actually bringing the running app to “the fore when a user starts jogging”.
Apple’s main goal appears to be making Siri less gimmicky and more useful.
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